of milwaukee



iuly 6 1926.

H. EVANS ET AL METI. )9 OF MANUFACTURING FULL FASHIONED HOSIERY Filed June 16 I ZVEINTORQ 71W B '6 flflwl 147% ATTORNEYS Patented July 6, 1926.

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUMPHREY EVANS AND HERBERT E. HEILBRONNER, 0F MIf'LWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNORS T0 HOLEPROOF HOSIERY 00., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A COR- PORATION OF WISCONSIN.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING FULL-FASHIONED HOSIEBY.

Application filed June 18, 1924. Serial No. 720,292.

This invention relates to improvements in the method of manufacturing full fashioned hosiery upon a circular knitting machine.

A circular knitting machine provides the least expensive way of knitting hosiery, but hosiery of the full. fashionedtype is not ordinarily kniton said machines, but can be by using the machine in a back and forth movement. Furthermore, thehosiery knit on the above mentioned or other types of knitting machines, required a seam to be formed under the bottom portion of the foot, which is very objectionable.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to overcome the above mentioned objectionable features and rovide a new method of manufacturing fu l fashioned hosiery in which the seam at the bottom portion of the foot is eliminated and the hose is knit in a single integral piece, so shaped as to permit one portion to be sewed to another to form the complete stocking.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new method of manufacturing full fashioned'hosiery in which the bottomportion of the foot and the heel are connected to the toe portion and the two portions are then connected together along the opposite sides and the heel of the hose in forming the complete hose.

A further object, of the invention is to provide a new method of manufacturing fullfashioned hosiery in which the knitting of the heel portion is first commenced with a minimum number of needles and the number of needles in use is gradually increased to form the soleor bottom portion and the instep portion, and then gradually further increasing the number of needles in use to increase the width of the material to form the le portion.

A Further object of the invention is to provide a new method of manufacturing fashioned hosiery which may be carried out in a vary simple manner on a circular knitting machine.

With the above and other objects in View the. invention consists of the improved method of manufacturing full fashioned hosiery and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

used in forming hosiery under the new' method of manufacture; Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side view of a partly completed hose; and

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the completed full fashioned hose.

Full fashioned hosiery is usually knit on a reciprocal knitting machine, but. as this form of knitting is comparatively expensive, it is more desirable and lessexpensive to knit hosiery on the circular knitting machine, and in shaping the hosiery on a circular machine, it is customary to form the upper portion of the 'leg of the hose with a loose stitch which is gradually tightened in forming the ankle and foot portion. The tight knitting is not desirable, as not sufficient flexibility is provided, and in use the hose will be stretched out of shape. Furthermore in ordinary circular work the ankle portion of the hose cannot be made small enough due to the fact that in knitting the same number ,of needles are used as in the leg portion, and tightening up the knitting to reduce the diameter shows too much contrast with the leg portion which is loosely knit. Therefore, it has been the practice to knit this type of hose' on a reciprocating machine and form the seam from the point of the toe along the bottom portion of the foot to the heel and then up the back of the leg portion.

Inthe new method of manufacturing the full fashioned hoisery the improved blank may be easily formed on a circular knitting lines 6 before mentioned to provide a. fullness forming the heel 7. The knitting now continues in straight parallel lines 8 to vage edges and then sewing the selvage form the sole or bottom portion of the foot of the hose. Toe gores 9 are now formed to provide the toe fullness l0 and the knitting is continued in straight parallel lines 11 to provide the instep or upper part 12 of the foot, and at the points 13 additional needles are gradually put in working position to gradually increase the width of the material to form the ankle part 14-, the edges 15 of which are sewed to the angular heel point portion 5. From the points 16 the knitting continues in straight parallel lines for a short distance to complete the ankle portion, and more needles are then gratin ally put in working position to gradually increase the width of the hose blank as indicated by the numeral 17, to form the calf or leg portion of the hose. The upper end portion of the hose is knit in straight parallel lines 18 to form the upper portion of the hose. The knitting provides selvage edges and the blank thus far described forms one of a continuous line of blanks and when so arated, the seivage edges of one side of t e foot and the lower edge of the ankle portion are sewed together, as indicated by the numeral 20, up to the edges 16 and the corresponding edges on the other side of the hose are likewise sewed together to the point of the heel and from said point the sewing is continued to the upper end of the hose, as indicated by the numeral 20. The sewing together of the leg portions forms the V-shaped space 19 for receiving the angular pointed heel part 5.

The selvage edges of the pointed heel part are sewed to the selvage edges of the ankle part on both sides of the ankle and. foot portions by seams 21 which extend to the toe portion of the hose, to eliminate the ordinary central bottom seam and form the seams on opposite sides of the foot. The upper portion 22 of the hose is now preferably overla ped inwardly and sewed, as at 23, to rein orce said upper portion of'the hose.

The tapered selvage edges of the blank .when sewed together, form the curve of the calf of the leg and the ankle, and provide a one piece full fashioned shapely hose of desirable and attractive appearance, which may be easily manufactured on the circular knitting machine.

Fromthe foregoing description, it will be seen that the method of manufacturing the full fashioned hosiery provides an improved hose and also for the manufacture of said hose on a circular knitting machine in a very simple manner.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. The method of knitting full fashioned hosiery, which consists in forming on a knitting machine elongated blanks with portions of varying widths and having seledges together, the bottom foot and heel portions of the blank forming a continuation of the toe part of the blank and connected to other portions of the blank by seam lines which extend from points on opposite sides of the toe along opposite sides of the foot and heel portions and then upwardly in comparatively long converging seam lines to join the upper portion of the heel to the ankle portion, then sewing the selvage edges of the ankle and leg portions together, the point of junction of the heel seams with the ankle seam being positioned comparatively a considerable distance above the heel proper. .v

2. The method of knitting 'lnll fashioned hosiery, which consists in forming on a knitting machine elongated blanks with portions of varying widths and having selvage edges and then sewing the selvage edges together, the bottom foot and heel portions of the blank forming a continuation of the toe part of the blank and con nee-ted to the other portions of the blank by seam lines which extend from points on opposite sides of the too in approximately parallel lines along opposite. sides of the foot and heel portions and then upwardly in comparatively long converging seam lines to a oint above the heel to oin the upper portion of the heel to the ankle portion of the hose, and then sewing the selvage edges of the ankle and leg portions together, the point of junction of the heel seams with the ankle seam being positioned comparatively a considerable distance above the med proper.

The method of knitting full fashioned hosiery, which consists in starting the formation ofthc heel portion of a blank with a back and'forth movement on a knitting machine with a minimum number of needles in operation, then gra'idually increasing the number of needles inuse to form an elongated V-shaped upper heel part,then continuing theknitting to form the lower heel and toe and gore and upper foot pertions, then gradually increasing thefnumber of needles to form the ankle part, then continuing with the same number of needles for a short distance and then gradually increasing the number of needles to 'form the leg portion and then continuezwith the same number of needles to fornr theupper portion, then sewing the edges to'gether,-the

seam lines formed by the sewi'n extending "from points on opposite sides Q the toein approximately parallel lines aloiig opposite sides of the foot and heel portions and then junction of the heel seams with the ankle hosiery, which consists in starting the formation of the pointed heel portion of a blank with a back and forth movement on a circular knitting machine and with a minimum number of needles in operation, then gradually increasing the number of needles in use to form an elongated V-shaped heel part, then continuing the knitting to form the lower heel and toe and gore and upper foot portions, then gradually increasing the number of needles to form the ankle part, then continuing with the same number of needles for a short distance and then gradually increasing the number of needles to form the'leg portion, then continuing with the same number of needles to form the upper portion, all of the side edges of said blank being formed with selvage edges, then sewing the selvage' edges together, the seam lines formed by the sewing extending from points on opposite sides of the toe in approximately parallel lines along opposite sides of the foot and heel portions and then upwardly in converging seam lines to a point above the heel to join the upper portion of the heel to the ankle portion of the hose, and then sewing the edges of the ankle and leg portions together to form the seam at the rear center line of the ankle and leg portions, the point of junction of the heel seams with the ankle seam being positioned a considerable distance above the heel proper.

5. A method of knitting hosiery, consisting in foruiing the foot portion in half sections, commencing the knitting at the heel with the minimum number of needles and forming the heel and foot sections with a continuous selvage edge, the leg portion being formed as a continuation of the upper half of the foot portion and being enlarged to conform to the shape of the heel and increasing the diameter of the leg portion by picking up additional needles, the stocking being completed after knitting by securing the selvage edges together.

6. A method of knitting hosiery, consisting in commencing the knitting of the heel portion with the minimum number of needles and picking up additional needles in the continuing courses to increase the number of stitches and form a widening fabric with a selvage edge, this fabric being continued to complete the heel, sole, toe and top.

portions of the foot, the ankle portion being increased in width gradually by bringing into operation additional needles progressively to produce a tapered structure having a taper corresponding with the'taper of the I heel and having a selvage edge, the selvage edges of the heel, ankle and foot being suitably secured together after the completion of the knitting.

7. The method of knitting hosiery, consisting in forming the back of the heel utilizing the smallest possible number of needles with a back and forth movement, gradually picking up needles to either side to increase the width in a tapering structure with a selvage edge until substantially a half circle is'completed, then forming the heel gore and continuing the substantially half circle knitting t0 the too, then forming the toe gore, continuing the same number of needles and knitting to form the upper foot' portion, then gradually adding needles to form the increasing size of ankle and leg.

portion, all having 'selvage edges, then joining the selvage edges along the side of the foot and the heel and at the back of the leg portion to complete the hose.

In testimony whereof, we aflix our signatures. i

HUMPHREY, EVANS. HERBERT n. HmLBRoNNnR 

